About the Food Bank

The Food Bank works to end hunger in Western Massachusetts by providing nutritious food, strengthening our region’s food assistance network, and developing solutions to the causes of hunger in our community.

The Food Bank’s headquarters and distribution center in Chicopee, MA.

Receiving and Distributing Nutritious Food

The Food Bank receives food from a number of different sources, including the state government (MEFAP), the federal government (TEFAP), local farms, our own Food Bank farms, retail and wholesale food businesses, and community organizations.

After being checked for quality and inventoried at the Food Bank warehouse, this food is distributed to our member food pantries, shelters, and meal sites or directly to guests at our Mobile Food Bank and Brown Bag sites.

Food Bank Members

Our staff works with our members to ensure food safety and access, and facilitate capacity building through grants to increase food distribution and best practices workshops.

See a map of our entire network >

Public Education and Advocacy

The Food Bank educates and advocates for change, bringing issues of hunger to the forefront and empowering people to work towards solutions to end hunger.

Legislation & Policy

The Food Bank promotes legislation, programs, and investments that strengthen immediate support for the Commonwealth’s (and the nation’s) food assistance network and address the causes of hunger. We believe a broad range of solutions are necessary to eliminate institutional barriers and foster economic opportunity for everyone.

Take action on our policy priorities >

What Drives Hunger?

Hunger effects people in every town and city in Western Massachusetts. Hunger, its causes, and the ways it manifests in people’s lives has long been complicated by misinformation, misconception, and shame.

Learn about hunger and its causes >

Connecting People to Resources

Food Assistance Navigation

Our Food Assistance Navigation (FAN) team assists people facing food insecurity with access to food resources and other wrap-around social services. We partner with the health care community, other social service agencies, and those seeking assistance.

Food Bank of Western Massachusetts FAN Team

Food Bank of Western Massachusetts SNAP Team

SNAP Outreach

SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) offers nutrition assistance to millions of eligible individuals and families across the country. Our SNAP team helps individuals and families with the application and all the necessary documentation for this federal assistance.

Nutrition

Our Nutrition Outreach team offers educational programs to our members, including workshops, food sampling events, grocery store tours in both English and Spanish (using Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters at the Store® model), ServSafe certification and safe food handling training.

Food Bank Farms

The First Food Bank Farm

The first Food Bank Farm is a 60-acre parcel of land on the Connecticut River in Hadley. It operates as a production farm in partnership with Mountain View Farm which provides us fresh, local, USDA Certified Organic produce in exchange for leasing the farmland.

The Second Food Bank Farm

The second Food Bank Farm in Hadley was purchased in collaboration with Kestrel Land Trust, who manages walking trails on the 142 acre farm. Thirty-five acres are farmed by Atlas Farm and Lakeside Organics under similar lease arrangements of farmland in exchange for organic vegetables. These farmers also sell a share of their harvest to public schools for their lunch programs.

Cultivating for Community

Cultivating for Community (CFC) is the Food Bank’s regenerative farming and education initiative. It is open to volunteers and hosts educational workshops for all ages while growing organic vegetables for Food Bank member food pantries.